looks like its all over for the astros i really thought they had a good enough team this year, but they choked when it counted.
wow, houston really is choke-city, not because of the rockets, but because of the astros. they seem to ALWAYS choke. and, i guess if you count the oilers, houston really is choke-city! how can you guys stand it? i mean, with the history with those two teams, how can you find ANYTHING to complain about with the rockets? hell, with houston's history with pro sport franchises, the rockets could rest on their laurals for at least a minimum of 10 more years!
still had a good year. glad ensberg and everett got to play. Ill have a few more tonight in honor of the season.
I think the Brewers put them out of their misery because if the Stros did make the playoffs the only thing they would do is get swept by the Braves like always and have a team batting avg under 220. If the Astros don't make a run for a solid #1 pitcher (Millwood) they will do the same thing next season. A true centerfielder and a GOOD MANAGER would be nice as well.
Nick, I think we figure to be a weaker (albeit only slightly) team next year. Kent, Bidge and Bags will all be on the bad side of 35. Wags will probably be traded. Our minor league system is almost drained with no big league talent on the immediate horizon. The good news is, Everett, Ensberg and Berkman will all be 1 one year wiser and Hidalgo will be in another contract year (I think Hidalgo might be traded this offseason seeing as how he will look a lil more attractive). If we are going to have a chance next year, we need two things: Another starter (preferably #3 caliber) and someone that can get on base with some consistency at the top of the order. Seeing as how Miller, Oswalt and Dotel are all due for big raises (doesn't Berkman's extension kick in too??), I doubt that Drayton will want to make any big moves this offseason.
But in the end... it wasn't this team's starting pitching that let them down. When the lineup struggled throughout the first part of the year, this team struggled to put together wins... wins that were accomplished with its pitching staff. Then, when the lineup became hot this month, everything seemed soo much easier... that probably contributed to everyone's optimism to end the season. But, these last two weeks, they've had the bases loaded far too many times and not driven in enough runs. That's the story of the season. Sure, we'll need to upgrade over Jeriome Robertson in the rotation, but overall, we DO need a true lead-off hitter, and even an average CF would do (Biggio is far below avg... in fact, had the Astros signed FA Kenny Lofton last year, things may have played out differently.)
I can't help but think how much better the frikin' Florida Marlins are than us. They lose their #1 starter for the entire year and make the playoffs. Then compare their offense to ours. Those guys are clutch down the stretch kicking the Phillies rear asses all over the place at the end of the year. Yet once again we choke. Attendance will be very down next year as we've seen this team lose a thousand times now. The stadium's not new anymore, you can't tailgate anywhere, and the Cubs will win 100 games next year. We'll be good for about 80. The only team that would take Billy would be Boston. The only team that would take Hidalgo would be the Yankees. The only team that would take Biggio would be the Astros. Pettite is a free agent and if the Yankees don't win it all the Astros better sign the local guy who says he wants to play in Texas to a multi year deal.
we can only hope codell. This needs to happen. The manager is really not the problem with this team. You could put Bobby Cox out there, and this team would still choke. They choked under Dierker and they choked under Williams, so the manager doesn't really matter. It's players such as Biggio, Hidalgo and Blum who are rally killers. They are so undependable when the Astros need them to be, it's a freakin joke. Now it's up to management to fix these problems. They need to ignore the fact that Hidalgo had a bounce back year, because his true dificiencies came out big time down the stretch. And if Biggio is on the Astros next year, it only shows management does not care about improving the ballclub.
I prefer "Lastros". I really really should be upset but in all honesty, I stopped caring a long time ago. I was as an incurable Astros fan who ever existed - one who suffered for years while they were a joke of a team and never once was my faith or belief in this team shaken - NOT ONCE I TELL YOU! I thought that there was NOTHING on this earth that could EVER make me lose the love and passion I had for the Astros - MY Hometown Team! I had loved this team ever since childhood and I truly believed that I would go to my grave as an Astros fan. But fate would not let it be so for my love and passon could not sustain me through the living hell that was JOHN MCMULLEN. His ownership of MY team destroyed the baseball fan in me so totally - so completely that to this day, I no longer care nor watch nor have ANYTHING to do with the Astros or MLB. So I will shed no tears for yet another Astro choke or punk out because I really don't care. This team stands today exposed for what it has always been - a collection of LOSERS. LOSERS who will hang their sorry heads and offer up another round of sorry ass excuses for their failure this year and who will trot back out next year offering the same false optimism with the same lame cast of characters only to wind up with the same sorry result.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=choke+artist http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Houston+Astros That's all I have to say about that.
remember that the next time you hear someone criticize Houston sports fans. i was lamenting this to a guy from Dallas at the game on Saturday. sure red sox fans have suffered...but at least the city of boston had the celtics. sure cubs fans have suffered..but the bulls won 6 freaking titles...and the bears have traditionally been a good team. but in houston...geez..take away two championships from the rockets, and you have years of red sox-like disapppointment...complete with talent that can't win. the oilers were the epitome of that...and the astros have followed in that mold. the other day on ESPN they posted the teams who had made the playoffs but had not won a championship. the cubs were most with 9 playoff appearances without a championship...followed by boston with 8...then there were 4 teams tied with 7, including the astros. but what the graphic failed to point out is that the astros have never even won a playoff series.
Biggio's salary drops from $8m to $3m Wagner's salary will be $8m with an option in 05 Hidalgo's salary will be $12m with an option in 05 Kent and Bags get a $3m raise each and Ausmus will either be gone or take a $3m-$4m drop in pay. What could we get for a package or Wags and Hidalgo to a contender (AL please)? a stud pitcher and a nice prospect of two? $20m out and $10-$12m back. That should leave enough money to lock down Oswalt, Dotel and Miller. It would be nice to have enough to go after Beltran as well. Or a package deal for Beltran and Pena to be our new coach!
